Angula shares verdict on Netumbo, Saara

Former prime minister Nahas Angula says neither Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah nor Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila should become president on the mere ticket of their biological make-up, amid growing calls for a female president to take over the reins in 2025.The gender of Namibia’s next president is both irrelevant and divisive, said the Swapo veteran, who insists that the candidate’s overall character be the only consideration.Talks are rife in Swapo of a supposed need for a female president, reminiscent of the non-Owambo president narrative ahead of the 2012 congress, which is deemed to have helped catapult President Hage Geingob to power.International relations minister Nandi-Ndaitwah and Prime Minister Kuungogelwa-Amadhila are thought to be leading the race to replace Geingob in 2025, provided that one of them successfully navigates her way past the hurdle that is this year’s Swapo elective congress.Men in the party seem to be trailing in the dust as far as this race is concerned, with many finding the going tough to circumvent the so-called ‘Helmut Amendments’, which requires those who want to challenge for president or vice-president to have served for 10 consecutive years in the party’s central committee.While some party leaders, such as its founding president Sam Nujoma, are on record calling for a female candidate, Angula said such characterisation is a danger to the party.‘I don’t care’“I don’t care,” he said while discussing the matter on The Evening Review yesterday.“I don’t look at faces, gender or age. I look at the ideals the person has and what kind of society they are likely to build when they are in power,” he added.“I look at the person’s commitment to the well-being and welfare of society. I look at experience and what the person stands for. And these are rare in Swapo today,” Angula, himself a former contender for presidential candidate, said.“I don’t see a difference between a man and woman apart from their biological make-up. Discussions about gender, generations, tribe and region are very divisive and if we are not careful, they will wipe Swapo from the face of the Namibian political landscape.”AlienatedHe described the Helmut Amendments as ‘something new in Swapo’ which alienates competent candidates and robs the party of requisite skills and experience.“There are people who feel alienated. Imagine you were a commander in PLAN [Swapo’s discarded military wing] and when the country became independent, you joined the Namibian Defence Force."Now after retirement, you’re told if you want to share your skills with the party by means of taking a leadership position, you must start at a Swapo section level,” he said.“No one knows you at section level. The people who know you from your days in the struggle are in the top leadership and thus can’t vote for you at section level. Despite your immense contribution and skills, you’re alienated from your own family.”Netumbo vs SaaraOn Nandi-Ndaitwah, Angula said: “The other day she was talking about taking water from Congo. Why not talk about reviving the green schemes to improve food security? Why not talk about taking water from Neckartal Dam to irrigate local produce?"Taking water from Congo will require billions of dollars from a government that is struggling to meet the needs [salaries] of civil servants. Let’s stick to basics.”Meanwhile, regarding Kuugongelwa-Amadhila he said: “She was a minister of finance. I don’t know what she left there at finance seeing that from 2016, everything started collapsing.“As a prime minister, I didn&#039;t know what was happening at that office. But she’s young and when you’re young, sometimes you don’t want to outshine your boss.”Angula, who ruled himself out of the running for any position at the congress, said the success of the next president will also depend on the quality of teams they appoint when they assume office.

Angula shares verdict on Netumbo, Saara

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

Please login to leave a comment

Angula shares verdict on Netumbo, Saara

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

Please login to leave a comment

Login